Neuralink Director of Operations Shivon Zilis publicly confirmed her separation from billionaire Elon Musk through a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter. The announcement came after social media tracking accounts observed that Musk had unfollowed her profile on the platform.
In her detailed statement posted on Friday, Zilis revealed that the breakup occurred abruptly after the pair had spent years together and built a family consisting of four children. “It’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week with no warning, but that’s just how it is sometimes,” Zilis wrote.
A Public Look at a Private Relationship
Zilis and Musk share four children together: fraternal twins Strider and Azure, born in November 2021; a daughter named Arcadia, born in early 2024; and a son named Seldon Lycurgus, born in February 2025. Court documents and previous legal proceedings brought aspects of their family dynamic into the public sphere, notably during testimony related to Musk’s legal battles.
Throughout her statement, Zilis reflected positively on their time together. She described their household as a vital sanctuary for Musk away from his demanding professional schedule, providing a necessary break from his otherwise intense existence.
“I feel happy that I got to show Elon how it feels to be deeply understood, nurtured, and peacefully loved with stability and gentleness,” Zilis wrote.
Text Exchanges and Moving Forward
To provide context for her timeline, Zilis included a screenshot of a text conversation between herself and Musk dated September 24. In the exchange, Zilis expressed affection following a breakfast meeting. Musk replied that he loved her too and mentioned that he would have invited her to a recent high-profile dinner involving Chinese President Xi Jinping if he had realized significant others were permitted.
Despite the sudden nature of the separation and the emotional toll, Zilis expressed a clear desire to maintain an amicable connection for the sake of their family. She concluded her statement by emphasizing her continued support for the Tesla and SpaceX chief.
“I do hope and pray he and I can be great friends and coparents,” Zilis stated. “I’m hurting, but care deeply about E and will always be cheering for his happiness. God speed, Elon, the world is lucky to have you.”
Background and Professional Context
Zilis has served as a key executive across several technology ventures associated with Musk, most notably as the Director of Operations and Special Projects at Neuralink. Her career in artificial intelligence and neurotechnology includes previous board service at OpenAI, a period that drew widespread media attention during court testimony earlier in the year.
Representatives for both Musk and Zilis have not issued further public comments regarding the announcement beyond the statements shared on X.
